Daughter of the Nibrue House

chapter 7:the Destroyer storm.

Naomi sat on deck of the ship Ambrosia and tried not to throw up. She looked on the bright side, she had left Simba at home so she didn't have to chase him around.

Lily walked over to her, clutching the side railing to balance herself. "Hi sweet," she said. "Isn't this fun?" Naomi nodded, not opening her mouth. "I've been told this sea sickness will go away." She sat down next to her. "Eventually. Not sure when."

David came over; he had no sign of sea sickness. "Bad news," he sighed. "We're going to have to take the long way to Ocean Land. There's a Destroyer Storm in our way."

"A Destroyer Storm?" Naomi asked, after she was sure she wasn't going to hurl. "What's that?"

David sat down on the other side of her. "A Destroyer Storm is a really bad storm summoned by magic. Most often it's a mistake. All Magic House members can summon one. This one looks to be really bad, even for a Destroyer Storm."

"The long way sounds great," Lily said. "Let's avoid the world's worst storm. How much longer can it take to go the long way?"

"Two to three days," David said. He quickly stood up and walked away.

Lily stood up and followed him. "David. Where do you think you're going? You can't just say we'll be out here for an extra two to three days and walk away like that." Naomi didn't bother getting up, she tugged on her ruby bracelet her grandfather gave her and just closed her eyes. The rocking of the ship soon put her to sleep.

A drop of rain woke her. Naomi sat up. The sky was dark with rain clouds. "Naomi!" her mother called. "Get inside!" Naomi got up, held tight to the railings, and ran inside the cabin. 

"I thought we avoided the bad storm," Naomi asked.

The bushy bearded captain nodded. "Ai lass. The Destroyer Storms can reach many leagues. This here is just the tail end of what they're getting in Spark territory." Naomi couldn't help but think that the captain was something, she just could not put her finger on it. 

David put an arm around her. "The rain will clear up. But for now, we're getting just a little of the Destroyer Storm." Naomi was really glad she didn't bring Simba now.

David was wrong. The rain didn't clear up, instead it got worse. Naomi and her parents were hiding out in the cabin while the crew rushed around on deck, trying to save the ship. Four days into the journey, the Captain burst into the cabin.

"I've never seen such a thing." He painted. "The Destroyer Storm switched its direction and is sending it's full force on us, it is."

"So we're in a full Destroyer Storm?" Lily asked.

"Ai, mam', that we are. That we are," the Caption replied.

David looked out the small window in the door out at the men. "We have to turn back," he said. "Sail out of the storm."

"A wise move, e'spt for one thing." The Caption said. "We're nearing the end. The tail winds and rains are three leagues ahead of us. To turn back now would be to go back though the storm."

"Then sail on," David said. "You could have led with we're almost out."

Naomi looked back at the worst of the Destroyer Storm. She was glad they were almost out. Then she saw it. A large wave getting bigger and bigger and closer and closer. "Dad," she said, worried. "What's that?"

David looked. "Naomi, Lily, hold on to something! It's a..." But the wave cut him off by crashing into the ship that looked like a toy beside it.

Naomi was forced deep under water. The wreckage of the ship was sinking fast, with her in it! She swam through a hole the wave made and headed upward. The storm was raging, but not as bad as it was a moment ago. Naomi grabbed hold of a floating piece of wood and held on for dear life. The waves crashed around her, the lightening flashed, and the thunder crashed. Naomi knew this was a far worse nightmare then she could have ever dreamed. Then there was another big wave, not as big as the last one, which stood over her. It crashed down and everything went black.

Naomi had no idea how she ended up on the warm beach, or where the warm beach was. The wreckage that hadn't sunk was all around her and her leg hurt, a lot.

Naomi tried to get up, but as the pain from her leg shot through her, she realized she couldn't stand.

A happy giggle came from the water. A purple head raised up from the surf. A mermaid. She giggled again and her purple tail slapped the water. "Land girl!" she shouted. "Land girl live!" She giggled more. Naomi had never before believed the stories of merpeople being silly and immature, now she did.

"Stand, land girl, stand," the mermaid shouted. "Step, step."

"I can't," Naomi said. "My leg hurts."

The mermaid swam up closer. "Red!" she said, pointing at her leg. Naomi looked, there was red. She was bleeding.

"That's not a good thing," Naomi told the mermaid, trying to make her understand that she needed help. But the mermaid giggled and pulled herself up on shore.

"Land girl in storm," she said. "Land people sink, but land girl rise. Land girl swim. Aqua take land girl to land. Stand, step," Aqua said. "Aqua like land girl. Aqua stay with land girl."

Land people sink. Naomi thought. The crew sank and they must have drowned. Her parents sank and must have drowned! Naomi was here all alone, with no one but a silly mermaid.

Aqua pulled a golden pendant off of around her neck. "Pretty," she said. "Sink in ship. Aqua take. Aqua know pretty."

Naomi lay down on the sand and cried. She was all alone and Aqua didn't understand that she needed help. She was orphaned and far from home. What could she do?

Aqua saw she was crying and realized something was wrong. She crawled back to the sea and swam away. Now Naomi was truly alone. She cried even harder. Then she heard voices.

"Land girl here!" Aqua shouted. "Land girl here!"

"Come on Baba!" a strange boy voice said. "We have to help her."

"We don't have to," a strange man voice answered the boy. "I don't see how this will good for us. Taking in another mouth to feed."

Naomi realized Aqua had brought help. Naomi pulled herself up. "Hello," she called. "Is someone there?" Then a dark figure stood over her. Naomi froze with fear.

A second figure appeared beside her. It was a boy her own age, with dark skin and short black curly hair. Naomi had never seen someone like him before. The boy knelt down next to her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Naomi shook her head. "No," she said, trying not to cry. "I washed up here after my ship sank. I don't know where I am, I don't know where my parents are. I don't even know if they're alive. Can you help me?"

The boy said yes and the man said no. "But Baba," the boy coaxed. "We cannot leave her here. She needs help." 

The man crossed his dark arms. "Abir, we can't afford another mouth to feed. Someone else will come along soon."

Naomi felt angry. "If you leave me here, know this. I am a Daughter of the Nibrue House, a noble magic family of a land far away," she crossed her arms in mock of the man.

The man laughed. "Of course you are," he said, thinking she was making this up. "And I'm Queen of Fakelandia." Then his eyes saw her ruby bracelet. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

The boy fingered the bracelet. "Baba, I think it's real rubies and real gold," he said. "Real gold and rubies." 

Naomi pulled her arm away. "If you aren't going to help me, then go," she said. "Like your Baba said, someone else will come along soon."

"Of course we'll help you, miss," the man called Baba said. "How could we leave a poor little lady like you all alone?" 

The boy took her arm. Naomi kept a sharp eye on her bracelet. "My name is Abir and this is my Baba, or father, Uchoyo. What is your name?"

"Naomi," Naomi told him.

"Can you walk, Naomi?" Abir asked. Naomi shook her head. "Then come on." Abir put his arm around her and pulled her up. His Baba took the other side of her. Naomi remembered her father's protection spell and how she hoped it still worked.